


Finders Keepers

by Where_The_Owls_Fly



Category: Once Upon A Time - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 08:10:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7707439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Where_The_Owls_Fly/pseuds/Where_The_Owls_Fly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loosely based on the season 4 final au </p><p>Regina is an orphan who was abandoned. All she wants to do is leave her country and go somewhere nicer, kinder, safer. But, after taking something that doesn't belong to her, Regina's life becomes darke before there's light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is so short but hopefully that will improve as the story progresses. This will ne something I write whenever I'm stuck on Forbidden so updates will be rocky. Anyways, hope you like it.

Laughter can be heard coming out of the audience's mouths as they find joy in whatever puppet show they are watching. 

Regina isn't interested though, she's only thankful for its distraction as she skitters around person to person, her bare feet tapping gently on the concrete ground. Whilst their eyes and mind are elsewhere, Regina skilfully and carefully dips her hand into a man's pocket. At first she doesn't feel anything but moving her hand a little to the left her fingers wrap around a velvet box. She feels a smile tug against her lips as she gently and slowly draws her hand away and tucks the box into her makeshift pocket of her rags.

As she drops it in, she feels the coins and clothes and a watch she managed to get at the last second. Pleased with her fingers, Regina leaves the area going unnoticed as she arrived. 

 

Tucked away from the danger of the city, her home is in a broken, fallen tree truck in the forest. For as long as Regina could remember she had been alone. A few months ago she lived in an orphanage but it was horrible there- anything that went wrong Regina was blamed for it. Having enough one night; when everyone was asleep, Regina sneaked out, vowing to never return again. She was unsure if anyone had come looking for her since. 

Throwing the contents of what she stole onto the makeshift bed, she picks up the velvet box and opens it. Inside was a diamond ring and Regina's heart speeds up at the sight of it. In the few months she'd been doing this the most she'd ever managed to score was a necklace which she had been ripped off for, but a diamond...

Regina turns the ring in her fingers, the other things forgotten on the bed. Tomorrow she'd go back into the city and see if she could sell this and hopefully not get ripped off for it.

So, guarded by the leaves hanging outside her log, Regina sleeps with the ring wrapped around her finger, unable to think of anywhere else to put it. Hopefully with the jewelery, she'll be able to sell it and leave this country for good.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg! I think we actually have a proper full length chapter, this is good. Anyway, just a heads up, this fic is going to be dark. I don't want to give too much away but hopefully the ending will kind of help in a way for you to decide whether or not to carry on with this. Chapter 4 will be on that tip of dark, I'll try to keep my descriptions to a minium and I'm going to stop before I reveal anymore. It will tell you, though, the more darker it gets.

There are days when being small is a good thing; it's easier to steal, nobody notices you and you can blend in with the crowd when people are after you.

Regina finds that today is not one of those days.

The city is packed today but nobody is seeing nor hearing the little girl with the long black hair trying to sell a diamond. They walk on by paying more attention to the official stalls laid about, their loud booming voices much louder than her quiet one.

Regina's gentle shouts of 'buy a diamond- the price is yours' is constantly interrupted by a much older boy who is giving out gold. The final straw is when she almost had someone interested then the boy's shouts of 'Free gold for the poor' rips through the air and her buyer's attention is taken to him instead.

Anger rise up in the girl as she takes the ring off the table and places it on her finger, giving up on the whole thing. 'Honestly', she thinks as she pushes the table away. 'People are choosing gold over diamond?' But then a sneaky little voice speaks in her head, one that always tells her the truth; 'It's because it's free.''

Regina sighs as she watched the boy pack his table away. Everyone else who sells here all look under fed. They wear rags. They look like they haven't had a decent meal since they were born. But this boy...He was dressed in the finest clothes, well nourished and not a bit of dirt on him and he was selling gold for FREE.

Regina frowned. He was a noble but nobles are selfish, they don't care about the poor, the peasants. There had to be something in it for him.

Turning away from the boy, a hand forcefully lands on her arm. A moment of panic seizes her as she looks up to see a man- older than the man who owned the orphanage- staring down at her.

And he was a royal. 

Or at least some kind of aristocrat.

They tried to teach everyone courtesies at the orphanage. Only a few people got it, everyone else messed around and forgot it a day later. Regina was one of those 'forgetters'.

He let's go of Regina's arm and gigs her hand instead, holding the finger the thing was on. There were time when Regina wished she had some sort of weapon on her. She and this lord where on two opposite ends of the line. She was a little peasant girl, expected to do whatever this man says regardless what it meant on her. If she had a dagger, she would stab him, steal all he had and make a run for it.

But she didn't have a dagger with her so she couldn't do any of that. 

He man twisted the ring around. Regina waited to see what he'd say. He must have known she stole it- noway could it have been herd and the consequence of stealing was a hand cut off like that Killian boy.

Regina watched from a little away as a crowd gathered around to watch. A stage had been placed in the middle of the square. They often did this- made it a sort of entertainment for the 'good' people to watch.

They dragged the boy up the steps. His weak cries of 'let me go' and 'I didn't do anything' can only be heard by those who listened closely, and that wasn't many. Killian squirmed around, trying to break free of the hold one of the mob people had on his arm. Regina watched the small axe be raised high in the air then swoop down, silencing the boy's hand as he cried out in agony. 

Many people looked away but Regina watched the whole thing, not blinking once; 'At least it was a clean cut', she's seen worse. 

Even still, as she remembers the memory, it wasn't something she wanted happened to her.

After the man had finished his inspection of the ring, he said, 'A pretty ring. Where did you get it?''

Without thinking, Regina responds with, ''I didn't steal it.'' Then she instantly regrets it. Of course she stole it. If it was hers to begin with she wouldn't be a little peasant girl. And the man knows that.

He laughs and Regina frowns. Maybe he doesn't know, maybe he thinks it is hers, maybe he'll let her go with both hands intact. But he doesn't. He talks some more. 

''How old are you?''

''Fourteen.''

His eyebrows raise at her answer. ''And your family?''

Regina doesn't answer. If she tells the truth, she'll be taken back to the orphanage, if she lies, he'll demand she take him to whatever she lives. And, despite what Regina may think, a fallen tree trunk does not make a safe home. However, her silence is enough to work out the truth.

'You don't have one,'' he says, his voice having a sadness to it. ''You're an orphan.''

Panic seizes once more. ''I'm not going back!'' she says. Her strong, forceful and defying voice contrasts to his much more quiet one. ''If you make me, I'll run away again.''  
He studies her, his eyes taking in her body. Subconsciously, Regina begins tugging on her rags, thankful that they're too big.

Sometimes, she wanders around the harbour at night. Likes seeing the moon reflecting on the sea. There's a light wind sometimes and the silver reflection ripples, waves and Regina can get lost just looking at it.

She has to be careful, though. Sometimes the sound of music or laughter or an occasional scream can be enough to draw her out of her trance. She'll look towards the pier and see what happens to the girls whose clothes are ripped and torn. Or perhaps they're dresses hug their bodies a little too tightly and a man of any rank or stature will let their sleazy eyes roam before they take what is theirs. Or think is theirs. Either way, it doesn't matter, it's only a game of Finders Keepers, one Regina often plays with the possessions she steals. 

''What's your name?''

The man's question brings her out of her thoughts. Cautiously she answers, ''Regina.''

''Regina?'' he repeats with a hint of surprise.

''Yeah.'' Regina shrugs, what's so special about it?

''Well then, Regina.'' The girl frowns at the way he says her name, the hint of unbelieving clearly heard. ''How would you like to spend a few nights in a castle?''

Regina thinks about it. Warmth, food- her stomach grumbles at the thought- a comfortable high bed, not leaves and rags on the hard ground. It's enough to make her say yes, but...

'What but? There is no but,' she thinks. 'If things get scary you can always run away, go back to the trunk in the forest away from all the nobles.'

But if she does run away, or refuses all together, then it's back to the hard way. To the begging and stealing. The fear of being taken back to the orphanage, of being caught mid steal. And it's that that makes her finally decide.

She says yes, he smiles, and begins leading her away from the now empty stalls to a carriage waiting for them.

As she climbs in and the man sits uncomfortably next to her, places a hand on her leg and whispers ''My name is Leopold'', Regina wonders if she made the right choice.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Different POVs again, this is something I planned from the beginning. Anyway, this has actually became more of a roll reversal which I didn't realise, aha, but anyway, I guess it needs to be for this fic to even work. Also, this was probably the easiest chapter to write so I'm happy with my life right now.

His day had been going so well. Robin had managed to sneak away, shoot some arrows in the forest, then meet up with John to sell some gold he'd stole from his family's vault. Yes, his day had gone fine...until dinner rolled around.

When he enters the hall, it's this sister's gleeful shouts he hears first. 

''Did you hear the news?''

''What news?'' Robin asks cautiously as she places himself on a chair.

Vanessa's eyes widen in shock. ''You don't know?'' She turns to their father who is sitting at the head of the table. ''Show him the letter! Show him the letter!'' the fifteen year old can barely contain her excitement.

However, next to her, Robin freezes in his seat. Letters hardly ever come with good news; usually they are about wars, or winter arriving, or possibly a marriage. Robin's fist clenches under the table. 'Oh Gods, don't let it be a marriage proposal', he prays.

Howard passes the letter to Robin. He takes it, heart actually thumping and anxiety raising. As he skims through, Mother begins speaking.

''We got the offer whilst you were....out.''

Though, her words are distant as Robin skims quicker through the letter. Words like 'marriage', 'engagement', 'as soon as possible', 'before they are both eighteen' standing out as Lady Anna proceeds speaking.

''We thought it was the best offer. She lives close by, and it seems they want it to happen sooner rather than later, so we accepted.''

Robin places the letter down, feeling numb. They spoke about this! About accepting marriage proposals on his behalf. They agreed to let him decide. 'So much for that', Robin thinks bitterly.

He looks up to see his mother staring down at him, patiently awaiting his response. He says the first thing he thought of when he read the letter:

''I've never met her.''

''Well, that can easily be sorted out. You're meeting her tomorrow.'' says Anna. Like that changes anything, he still hasn't met her. He doesn't even know her name- the letter obviously addressee to his parents- which brings him to his next question. 

''What's her name?''  
''Zelena.''

And the name doesn't ring a bell.

Robin looks to his father who seems withdrawn from the conversation. Not that he would have helped. All Howard Locksley would have done is tell him how much of an honour this was. Robin would scoff to himself- honour was helping the poor, people in need, not marrying for one's own gain.

He'd foolishly told his father that one day and the answer he'd received horrified him.

Father laughs at the statement as he fumbles with the pin. ''And just where did you get that from?''

The nine year old boy shrugs and says, ''I just thought of it- it's the right thing to do.''

Father turns around, a puzzled look in his eyes. ''Son, the poor are not worth your time.'' he says. ''They're just thieves and whores and gutter rats.'' Howard claps him on his shoulder as Robin winces at the impact but he tries not to show it. ''They're all better dying off soon.'' He walks out the room leaving Robin confused but sure that he was going to help the poor.

All Robin wants to do now is leave. He eats some of his food, his appetite lost and soldiers through his sister go on about how perfect the wedding is going to be.

When enough is enough, Robin courteously removes himself from the hall and shuts himself in his chambers.

He lies on his bed and thinks. Tomorrow he had planned to help the poor again. You know, actually do something good and honourable. Now he has to spend it trying to impress some spoilt princess!

A guilty feeling sets in his stomach ad he turns onto his side. It's not her fault. She probably didn't get a choice either. 

The sound of the creaking door opening has Robin looking up. Vanessa enters, dressed for bed, her brown hair braided over her left shoulder. Wordlessly, she walks over to his bed and places herself on the end, her knees tucked under her.

''Are you still being grumpy?'' she asks. 

Robin out he's himself up, legs crossed under him and heart feeling heavy.

''I don't want to marry this girl, Nessa.'' he says avoiding her eyes. She'd been so excited at dinner. He should have left that alone.

''She probably doesn't want to marry you, either.''

Robin thinks, he hadn't thought of that, and laughs a little. ''True.'' he says still not looking at her, but Vanessa changes that by taking his hand in her soft one.  
When he finally looks up he sees nothing but hope in her blue eyes. 

''You can love her, you know.'' then it's her turn to break the contact. ''And if you didn't, you only have to see her on formal occasions.''

Despite that she's looking away, Robin can see the sadness in her eyes and his heart breaks. She saying this from knowledge because this is what will happen to her. She'll be married soon, Robin's already seen the offers of marriage, and when the time comes, that man will only use her for a fuck when nobody else wants him.

A need to protect his sisters from that comes over him. He finds himself grabbing her hand in a similar fashion that she did. ''Vanessa, Father will find you a suitable man. You don't need to worry.''

Vanessa looks at him. ''I'm not,'' he can see tears begin to form in her eyes. ''It is what it is.'' She brings her hand away. ''Goodnight, Robbie.'' She climbs off the bed and disappears into the darkness of the corridor.

Robin flops back down into his bed. He has a choice: he can make this marriage work, the honourable thing to do, or he could give up at the first mention of it.

As he blows the candles out, Robin chooses his first option and prays that it is the right one.


End file.
